Run: 2026-02-16-01KHK9BN13E47ENXZEV9WNXW0F

"The morning bell rang and the whole town smelled like molasses." "It smelled like trouble this time — someone wiped the jam jar empty." "Not just the jam. The blue recipe book is gone." "I thought you kept that under the tea towels." "There was flour on the back door and a cufflink under the counter." "A cufflink? Whose cufflinks do we have knocking about at the bakery?" "The mayor's, if I'm not mistaken. He always drops one at the farmer's market." "Mayor Thompson wouldn't stoop to stealing my grandmother's lemon drizzle." "Maybe he did. Or someone who borrows his gloves. Or someone who wants him blamed." "The display case looks staged, like someone tried to make it look like a mess." "Exactly. A messy scene to hide a very neat intent." "What do you think they wanted — the book, the starter, something else?" "Maybe the starter. It's the reason people come here. People keep secrets; starters keep history." "I can make us fresh scones and listen to every customer who walks in." "Listen for lilac perfume and a man who pretends not to notice the crumbs." "Fine. I'll fetch the scones. You hide the rolling pin where no one will find it."